


I Have Hidden Your Word in my Heart

by MyWordsMyChoice



Category: Upstairs Downstairs (1971)
Genre: Gen, Your obedient servant, post Your Obedient Servant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-05 04:20:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17911901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyWordsMyChoice/pseuds/MyWordsMyChoice
Summary: Something must have happened with Mr Hudson while I was in Southwold, though God only knows what. Well, Him and Mrs Bridges, but I’d have more luck finding out from Him.Rose arrives back at 165 Eaton Place post Your Obedient Servant.





	I Have Hidden Your Word in my Heart

There was a funny old feeling in the servants’ hall when me and Lady Marjorie arrived home. Mrs Bridges came flying out of Mr Hudson’s pantry as soon as I got in the door, and she looked proper disappointed to see me. Not so much as a "Hello Rose!", just fussing and bothering about why couldn’t I go anywhere quietly, how I’d ruin her nerves, had I seen Mr Hudson? She only stopped when Mr Hudson came downstairs. Went white as a sheet when she saw him, but all he said was that master and mistress would have something light for dinner at eight thirty and that he and Edward would be serving. Then she lit up like he’d given her the moon!

It was only later on when I was turning down the lamps that I thought of just how odd it all was. Mr Hudson _always_ served at dinner, and Mrs Bridges knew that like she knew how to boil a kettle. Something must have happened while I was in Southwold, though God only knows what. Well, Him and Mrs Bridges, but I’d have more luck finding out from Him. Something’s tied her tongue good and proper this time, which tells me all I need to know. She’ll gossip about any blessed thing, Mrs Bridges. Anything except Mr Hudson.

No, mark my words, it was Mr Hudson done wrong this time, and it must have been something awful. Still, whatever it was, there was no need for him to go at poor Ruby the way he did that evening. Or me, for that matter. She’d finished her work and so had I, and I thought I could help her with her letters. She was doing so well too and then Mr Hudson was bearing down on us in such a temper! Going on and on he was, all about Ruby wasting her time and me giving her ideas above her station and all kinds of awful things. Honestly! He can be old-fashioned, Mr Hudson, but he’s never had any objection to Ruby learning to read and write before, not even though it was Sarah who started it. Poor girl didn’t get to have her cocoa, just went to bed in tears. Mr Hudson took his into his pantry without a word, wouldn’t even listen to Mrs Bridges begging him to go after her.

Well, Ruby wouldn’t dare say anything to his face, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t. So I did. Said I didn’t know what went on while I was gone and I didn’t care to know, it was none of my business, but Ruby was a good girl and he’d frightened her when she’d done nothing wrong. Frightened me a bit too, truth be told, but I didn’t tell him that. He told me plenty though, how it was no bad thing for an impressionable young girl to fear her betters, that standards must be upheld, that servants must know their place, all the usual. Then “Away with you, Rose!” and that was that, but it didn’t matter. I’d said my piece and I knew how he took those things to his heart than more than you might think. You could always tell, leastways I could. You could see it in that way he’d look all lost all of a sudden, like a puppet with one of its strings cut. Blink and you’d miss it. 

None of us missed him teaching Ruby to read from his newspaper the next evening though. She was too bewildered to ask why and even Edward had the sense to keep his mouth shut about it. And as long as I dipped my head and hid my smile, that’d be the last I’d hear of it too.

Oh, he was a stickler for the rules, Mr Hudson, but he wasn’t no tyrant. He always made it right again, in his own way.


End file.
